The Ultimate ThunderCat
by 18lzytwner
Summary: The search for other Thunderians is on. But what happens when one ThunderCat gets too impatient? Plus Cheetara has a scary recoccuring nightmare. Will what she sees come true? Please Read and Review!
1. Chapter 1

**The** **Ultimate** **ThunderCat**

**By 18lzytwner**

Chapter 1

Lion-O sat at the sensors in the new Cat's Lair on New Thundera. He wondered why he had to watch anything. As far as the ThunderCats could tell they were the only intelligent life forms on the newly formed planet.

Behind him the door opened and in walked another ThunderCat. Her soft padded feet and her extreme speed made no sound as she approached the Lord of the ThunderCats.

"Bored?" She asked, making Lion-O jump out of his seat.

"Cheetara! You scared me have to death!" He exclaimed. The cheetah laughed and sat down next to him.

"Another quiet night?" She asked. The Lord of the ThunderCats nodded.

"What are you doing up? You're watch isn't for another couple hours." He asked looking at the clock.

"I couldn't sleep." Was all Cheetara offered. She looked into his light reddish-orange cat eyes. Something about him had always made her feel funny. Not funny like laughter but all bubbly, was the best term she could come up with.

Lion-O stared back at the cheetah not sure what she was looking for. It had been obvious to him that since the very beginning that there was something about her. Perhaps the first clue came when all those years ago that strange alien craft had taken hold of her sixth sense. When it was saying goodbye, it pushed the two together. He had always been curious as to what the ship had said, but afraid that it might reveal his feelings, he never asked her. Jaga knows the ThunderKittens had done enough asking for days afterwards. The beeping of the video screen pulled his attention away from his thoughts and Cheetara.

"This is Third Earth Cat's Lair calling New Thundera." Tygra's face popped up on the video screen.

"This is New Thundera. Go ahead." Lion-O replied.

"I think I've worked out a solution to our problem." Tygra's said cryptically. The look on his face was one of excitement. Lion-O's puzzled look gave away that he had no idea what his old friend was talking about.

"Say again, Tygra." He said.

"I said I think I've worked out our problem." The tiger repeated. Lion-O looked at Cheetara and then back at the screen.

"And what problem would that be?" Cheetara asked the other ThunderCat.

"You know how we've wanted to send signals out to any surviving Thunderians around the galaxy? Well I think I've come up with a solution." Tygra continued to smile. "What about satellites that orbit Third Earth and New Thundera? They could send out signals and hopefully Thunderians will pick them up."

"Have you run this idea by Panthro?" Lion-O asked. The tiger shook his head.

"He's not due for his watch for a few more hours. You're the first to hear my idea."

"Well it sounds good to me. Talk to Panthro then when you have more specific plans, contact the Tower of Omens and us." Lion-O told him. Tygra acknowledged and the video conference ended.

"He's always thinking. I wonder how he sleeps." Cheetara smiled. Lion-O laughed.

"His brain never shuts off. Why don't you try to get some sleep? You still have a couple hours before your shift starts." The lion suggested.

"If my Lord commands it." The cheetah smiled again. She was off in a flash. Lion-O sat in his chair trying to think about Tygra's idea but his thoughts kept reverting back to Cheetara. There had been plenty of times that she had saved his backside. When he was younger, he had been impetuous and it had gotten him in plenty of trouble. Snarf had been sure to remind him all the time.

Going over all the times she had reminded him that his pride wasn't worth his life, Lion-O recalled the time that Mumm-Ra had tried to use Excalibur to destroy the ThunderCats. Cheetara had told him that the joust was foolish. The cheetah had been right, of course. He had fallen right into Mumm-Ra's trap and if Merlin hadn't stepped in then he nor any of the other ThunderCats would be there to talk about it. She had truly worried about him, more so than the other ThunderCats. It wasn't that his other friends didn't care, because they cared a lot, but for some reason she seemed to care more.

Two hours later, Cheetara once again appeared in the control room. Lion-O smiled and asked her if she got some more sleep. She answered that it was more like a nap. The lion said he'd see her in the morning and went to bed.

The sun rose over the distant mountains on Third Earth. Panthro had heard Tygra's idea and even seen the drawings that he had created.

"It's a great idea, Tygra. I'll contact the Tower of Omens and New Thundera. Why don't you grab some breakfast. You know how Snarf gets when we don't eat properly." The panther joked. Tygra laughed and headed down to the kitchen.

After getting some breakfast and a lecture from Snarf about being on time for a meal for once, the tiger headed back to the control room. He found Panthro talking to Cheetara.

"Ok, I'll talk to Lion-O when he gets up. Call you in a few hours." The connection ended and the panther got up from his seat.

"Cheetara says that the plans look great and she'll let Lion-O know as soon as he's up. Lynx-O says that he'll have the Braille Board translate the copies I sent him."

"Excellent. Let's get started then." Tyrga said. The tiger and panther ran to the workshop down the hall. The ThunderKittens were left to watch the sensors.

Hours later, Snarf brought some lunch into the workshop for Panthro and Tygra. The two were debating over where to go from here.

"You guys should take a break. It's not good to work constantly." Snarf nagged. Panthro rolled his eyes and Tygra was about to say something when WilyKit came running into the room.

"Ben-Gali is on the video conference line. He wants to talk to you about the satellites." She told them. Quickly, the two raced out of the workshop down to the control room before Snarf could object.

WilyKat brought the white tiger up on the screen. Standing next to him was Snarf's nephew, Snarfer.

"We'd like to help you with the satellites." Ben-Gali told them.

"We can use all the help we can get." Tygra replied.

"There are some engineering difficulties. I've never tried to build a satellite before. But can Lynx-O and Pumyra handle the Tower of Omens by themselves?" Panthro asked.

"If you want you could sent the ThunderKittens over. Uncle Snarf could watch the sensors while we worked together." Snarfer suggested.

"Great idea, Snarfer. See you guys in about fifteen minutes?" Tygra asked.

"We'll be there." The white tiger confirmed and the video conference ended. WilyKit and WilyKat grabbed their space boards and headed to the Tower of Omens. Tygra and Panthro left Snarf to the sensors and returned to the workshop.Snarfer loaded some tools he thought they might need into the ThunderClaw while Ben-Gali went to take care of something. He walked down the hall and knocked on Pumyra's bedchamber door. The puma bid him to enter.

"I'm leaving with Snarfer for Cat's Lair to help with Tygra's satellites. The ThunderKittens are coming over to help you and Lynx-O out if you need it." The white tiger told her.

"Ok then I'll head down to the control room. How long do you think you'll be gone?" Pumyra asked as she stood up and came over to him.

"I don't know. None of us has ever tried to build a satellite before. But don't worry; I'm sure the four of us can get things done quickly." Ben-Gali promised giving her a hug. The two had grown close when they were living on that island before the other ThunderCats found them. It was up to them to not only protect themselves but Lynx-O and the Berbils as well.

"All right as long as you're that confident then hopefully I'll see you soon." Pumyra smiled. Ben-Gali returned a smile and kissed her forehead. The two then headed for the control room.

About ten minutes later, Snarfer and Ben-Gali arrived at Cat's Lair. They went to the workshop and found Panthro and Tygra deciding on how to rig the tracking functions. The cylindrical part of the outer shell had been completed and now it was up to the electrical components inside to come together.

"Have you decided on how to track it on the sensors inside Cat's Lair and the Tower of Omens?" Snarfer asked.

"We're hoping that once we activate the locator chips that the sensors will pick up on them. Panthro thinks that he gave them enough range to reach either place while they're in orbit." Tygra explained.

"What about the solar panels? I don't think they fit inside the workshop. In fact, we should probably move them out to the bigger workshop out near the ThunderTank." Ben-Gali said.

"We were just waiting for you to help us move them. It's not that we couldn't lift them we just want to be careful where and how we set them down so as to damage the sensitive material." Panthro told them.

"Good idea. Ok let's move them." Ben-Gali said. The three lifted the first satellite gingerly and walked it out to the workshop under the Cat's Paw, near the ThunderTank. Setting the first one down on a work table, they went and retrieved the other one. Now that they were in the bigger area, Tygra, Panthro, Ben-Gali, and Snarfer got to work.

Lion-O tapped Cheetara on the shoulder. The cheetah had fallen asleep at her post. The Lord of the ThunderCats didn't blame her. It was hard being the only two there and watching nothing but blank screens.

"I'm sorry Lion-O. I can't believe I fell asleep." She apologized.

"It's ok. I'm sure watching the boring surroundings doesn't exactly stimulate one's brain cells." He smiled but he could tell that something wasn't right. Cheetara had big bags under her eyes and she had been falling asleep in the weirdest places. The other day if he hadn't moved her bowl of oatmeal she might have dropped her face in it.

"Cheetara, tell me what's going on. The last few days you have been sleeping everywhere but your own bed. At breakfast, at your post, in the library, what's wrong?" The lion asked concerned. She looked if she wasn't going to discuss it but then something changed her mind.

"I've been having these horrible nightmares. I'm afraid to go to sleep and when I finally do sleep, the dreams come back." Cheetara confided in him.

"What kind of nightmares?" Lion-O asked. Again the cheetah hesitated before answering.

"The kind of bad dreams where I wake up drenched in a cold sweat. Where I want to rush to save someone that may already be dead." The answer finally came out.

"Who dies?" He asked.

"You do, Lion-O." Was all Cheetara said. The cheetah was usually very strong but the lack of sleep and the horrible dreams forced her to break down into tears. The dreams were quite disturbing and Lion-O could only try to comfort her.

To Be Continued…


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

It was a few days later and Lion-O sat inside the control room on New Thundera. The lion sat in thought about Cheetara's dreams. Usually when the cheetah dreamed it was a premonition of things to come. The same questions buzzed about in his head. Why do I die? Where and when does it happen? Am I worrying over something that could just be a dream and nothing more?

A beeping from the control panel called his attention away from these questions. It was Cat's Lair on Third Earth wanting to talk to him. Pushing the correct buttons, Lion-O brought Tygra up on the video screen.

"The satellites are completed. Ben-Gali and Panthro are loading New Thundera's onto the Feliner. We'll launch it before entering the planet's atmosphere." The tiger explained.

"Excellent! You'll need to refuel here and we can have some time to talk. How long do you think it'll take you to get the satellite in orbit?" Lion-O asked.

"Panthro and I are estimating about an hour or two. We'll keep in constant contact with you to let you how things are going." Tygra told him. Lion-O nodded.

"You'll have to explain to Cheetara and I about tracking it with the sensors. Well I'd better let you go so you can get back to work. Goodbye."

"Goodbye, Lion-O." The orange tiger told him. The video connection was cut and the call ended. Lion-O got up and went to find Cheetara.

Panthro, Tygra, and Ben-Gali loaded the Feliner with the satellite. The ThunderKittens had returned to Cat's Lair and Snarfer went back to the Tower of Omens. Everyone had their instructions and the Feliner was ready for take off.

Snarf, WilyKit, and WilyKat watched the ship blast off toward Third Earth's atmosphere. It had been Snarf's complaint that if something bad was to happen what were they going to do. Pumyra, Lynx-O, and Snarfer could handle the Tower of Omens but he wasn't so sure about defending Cat's Lair. Panthro had reminded him that the Mutants, Lunatacs, and Mumm-Ra weren't on Third Earth anymore and the worst thing they would come up against was probably some squabbling between the Balkans and Wolos.

WilyKit and WilyKat waved goodbye as the Feliner took off. Snarf hurried them back inside and told them to watch the sensors. He was such a worrywart. The ThunderKittens just rolled their eyes and did as they were told.

The Lord of the ThunderCats found Cheetara sitting out inside the Cats Head mouth atop New Thundera's Cats Lair. It was her favorite place to watch the sunrise and set.

"The others called. I think its time to move the cot out of the control room." He said sitting next to her. The cheetah nodded.

"Lion-O, I appreciate all you've done and I'd also appreciate it if the rest of the ThunderCats didn't know about my nightmare." She requested.

"You have my word. I…" the lion stopped himself. There was something he wanted to say but wasn't quite sure how to put it.

"What is it, Lion-O?" Cheetara asked.

"I hope that your nightmare goes away." Was all he said. The cheetah could tell that there was something else he wanted to say but he quickly replaced it with 'I have to go watch for the Feliner.' With that, Lion-O was gone.

Cheetara remained inside the Cats' mouth. She had felt Lion-O watching her as she'd dozed on and off in the control room. He had suggested that she try to get some sleep somehow and she had decided if he were there that she wouldn't have the horrible dream again.

But the vision had come again and many times she found herself being consoled by the Lord of the ThunderCats. The cheetah reflected on how good it felt to have him hold her. Then shaking those thoughts from her head, she returned to the control room.

Sometime later, Lion-O received a call from Tygra on the Feliner. He reported that they were about to put the satellite in orbit. Then Ben-Gali's voice came over the radio.

"I'm going to hold her steady as Panthro and Tygra get things going out there." The white tiger told Lion-O.

"Good. How are things back on Third Earth?" He asked.

"Very quiet. It that quiet that makes you think that is unsettling. I think most of us are finding it hard to sit still." Ben-Gali said.

"Its that quiet here too." The Lord of the ThunderCats lied.

"That's probably why Tygra came up with the satellite idea. Its actually quite clever." The tiger replied.

"Yeah. How are they doing out there?" Lion-O asked.

"I'll check. Give me a second." Ben-Gali answered. He switched the frequency to tap into Panthro's headset.

"How goes it?" The white tiger asked.

"Pretty good so far. We'll have this done soon. Lion-O giving you all the riveting news from the planet?" Panthro asked.

"Its about as boring as watching paint dry down there as it is back home." Ben-Gali remarked.

"Hopefully the satellites will keep us busy. Tell Lion-O to get some food going. I'm starving." Panthro laughed.

"Will do. I'm switching back frequencies. Talk to you in about five minutes." Ben-Gali smiled and moved the dials.

"Panthro says you'd better have some food ready. He's starving." The white tiger's voice came back over the Cats Lair's radio.

"Not to worry. Cheetara went to see if she could scrounge something up. Hope you brought those supplies we asked for." Lion-O replied.

"Yup, they're in the cargo hold. Pumyra wondered if you guys had enough medical supplies and packed a few extra things in." Ben-Gali told him.

"She's always thinking about everyone's else welfare. How is she by the way?" The lion asked.

"Good. I have something I'd like to discuss with you in private when we land." The tiger's mood changed all of a sudden.

"Sure. I'm going to see what's taking Cheetara so long. Keep us posted." Lion-O said wondering what Ben-Gali wanted to say. Then connection was cut and the Lord of the ThunderCats wandered down to the kitchen.

Lion-O smelled something great coming through the door as it slid open. He smiled and walked in to find Cheetara stirring around a big pot.

"What is that wonderful smell?" Lion-O asked her.

"My secret recipe." Cheetara said guardedly.

"Why didn't you cook any of this stuff on Third Earth? Heck, why not before for just me and you?" He asked.

"Because I was saving it for a special occasion and this seems pretty special. Just think of all the Thunderians that may come to be with us." She seemed excited.

"I noticed that you covered up the bags under your eyes. Ben-Gali told me that Pumyra put some extra medical supplies in our bundle of goodies. Maybe you should take a sedative to get some sleep." Lion-O said changing the subject.

"But what if you need me or something? Then what are you going to do with me completely zonked out?" Cheetara asked.

"What good is it if you aren't at one hundred percent?" He replied. Cheetara was about to answer when Lion-O reached for his headset.

"Its Ben-Gali. I have to go back to the control room. We'll talk later." He said. "By the way, if what you're making tastes as good as it smells I think we're all in for a big treat." Cheetara just smiled as he left.

About half an hour later, The Lord of the ThunderCats guided the Feliner in. His friends jumped out of the spaceship and rushed to greet him.

"Its good to see you all. Now if you'll follow me, Cheetara has whipped up something special." Lion-O told them. All three said that they were hungry and that the snacks Snarf had packed just hadn't cut it.

Sitting down, in the dining room the group waited for the cheetah to come out. The smell had them practically drooling. Cheetara came through the door and said,

"We'll have to do this buffet style. I still quite haven't figured out how to serve it without creating a mess." The men gave a smile and grabbed their plates and bowls.

Soon everyone was sitting down and enjoying the meal. In fact, everyone had gone back for more.

"I think that Cheetara has given Snarf a run for his money." Tygra smiled.

"Yes. I definitely think so. What did you call it again?" Panthro asked.

"I called it a sloppy sandwich. The soup you ate was Snarf's, so I can't take credit for that." The cheetah smiled.

"A sloppy sandwich. What's in it?" Ben-Gali asked.

"Well I used tomato sauce, deer meat, and some special spices. It was something my mother passed down to me. Don't tell Snarf you know how he gets when someone encroaches on his territory." Cheetara told them. Everyone had a good laugh at this.

"Well I liked it very much. Thank you for the wonderful surprise." Lion-O said.

"Time to clean up I guess. That's the worst part." Cheetara smiled, standing up.

"I'll help you. I'm sure these guys have had a stressful day." The Lord of the ThunderCats offered. She accepted his help while the others went to get some sleep before returning to Third Earth.

The next day, Tygra went through all the specifics for checking the monitors and working with the satellite. Lion-O and Cheetara assured him that they got it and promised to let everyone on Third Earth know as soon as any Thunderians contacted them. Ben-Gali had loaded their packages into the storeroom so now they were ready to leave.

With the Feliner gone, Lion-O and Cheetara were once again alone. They had two more months on New Thundera before being rotated back to Third Earth. It was Cheetara's turn to watch the sensors and Lion-O went to the library to think.

Ben-Gali had talked with him the night before and he had promised to let him know his decision soon. What the white tiger had asked didn't seem like a bad thing but he had to check the rules and traditions before jumping to answer his request. In fact, Lion-O was shocked that his friend actually asked him first. Jaga interrupted his thoughts.

"Lion-O, beware the restlessness of your companion. What she sees can be true. Only you can change the future by the decisions you make."

"Jaga! What if I make the wrong decisions?" He asked his mentor.

"Trust your own judgment. I know you will make the right decision when the time comes." With that Lord Jaga was gone.

To Be Continued…


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

A month and a half passed and soon Lion-O and Cheetara would be back on Third Earth. They hadn't heard anything from the satellites and the rest of the ThunderCats hadn't called them either. Lion-O was beginning to wonder if they were really the last of the Thunderians.

Back on Third Earth, there was another ThunderCat thinking the same thing. Tygra was disappointed that the satellites hadn't picked up anything. His mind continued to work out new ideas and new ways of keeping the Thunderian species alive.

The first thing that popped into his mind was the Geyser of Life. It had returned him to the proper age, so could he use the revitalizing waters to keep the ThunderCats young? Was there a way to make a serum out of it? But whom would he test it on? One wrong calculation and he could return the mighty ThunderCats to their infancy. Using the Cave of Time would be dangerous to age them properly. There was just no way to test it without the possibility of causing trouble. Plus he would need the others help to distract the winged water snakes. Tygra doubted that his friends would go for his idea. It was back to the drawing board.

The different clans had their special inherited strengths. The panther clan was strong. The cheetahs were fast. Pumas were excellent jumpers. The tiger clan was known for their incredible mental power. Lynxes were wise. The lion clan led the others and their bravery had been proven time and again. Cunning had always been a kitten thing. There had to be a way to combine them all.

Then Tygra had a brilliant idea. What if there was a way to collect all the ThunderCats abilities and use them to create the Ultimate ThunderCat? This Ultimate ThunderCat would have: Panthro's strength, Cheetara's speed, the cunning of the ThunderKittens, Ben-Gali's and his own mental powers, Pumyra's jumping abilities, and finally Lynx-O's wisdom. Of course, The Lord of the ThunderCats' bravery and leadership skills would also have to be included. Then Tygra realized that the best way to get all of these things would be DNA samples.

The ThunderCats had been chosen because of their special skills (except Lion-O, his was heredity). Those skills had set them apart; they became nobles and the sworn protectors of Thundera and its Code. Tygra figured that the Ultimate ThunderCat would give the rest time to proliferate the species because, if they were in fact the last of the Thunderians, when they died, the Code died with them.

The tiger decided the next step was to come up with some reason to visit the Tower of Omens and collect Pumyra, Ben-Gali, and Lynx-O's DNA. Once the samples had been gathered from all the ThunderCats, he would have to work in secret.

Back on New Thundera, Lion-O and Cheetara loaded up their personal belongings. They were expecting the Feliner any time now. The two hadn't been talking because Cheetara figured out that Lion-O had been slipping sedatives into her tea. The cheetah was willing to admit that it let her sleep but she didn't want to leave Lion-O alone. The Lord of the ThunderCats had apologized and she was just pretending to be upset with him. Cheetara realized that she could never stay angry at Lion-O.

Up in the atmosphere, Panthro and the ThunderKittens were bringing the Feliner into its descent towards New Thundera's atmosphere. They would take over for Lion-O and Cheetara for the next four months. At first, the panther didn't like the idea of being left with WilyKit and WilyKat. They were still always getting into trouble and having to put up with them for four months would probably drive him nuts. However, before they left Tygra promised to give them a surprise when they came back if they behaved themselves.

Lion-O turned to Cheetara. This would probably be one of the few times he would get to be alone with her. If he was going to say something it had better be now. He knew that the cheetah was mad at him and she might not want to listen but he would have to give it a try.

"Cheetara, I want to apologize again. I just wanted to help you. Uh… um…" Again his tongue became useless and he couldn't get the words out. Cheetara gave him a strange look. The lion couldn't make up his mind what she was trying to get across. His fellow ThunderCat opened her mouth to say something but Lion-O didn't let her. Impulse took over and he pulled her close. Cheetara didn't try to get away from him and the Lord of the ThunderCats took a chance.

Ten minutes later, Panthro and the ThunderKittens were landing the Feliner at New Thundera's Cat's Lair. Lion-O and Cheetara greeted them as they disembarked from the spaceship. There was no hint of what had happened only a few minutes ago. Quickly, things were loaded and unloaded from the Feliner and goodbyes were exchanged.

Panthro watched as the Feliner launched itself toward the planet's atmosphere. Something had been odd but he didn't point it out because WilyKit and Kat would continually ask him questions. Shrugging his big muscular shoulders, the panther went inside.

On Third Earth, Ben-Gali was sitting on his bed. The white tiger was incredibly nervous and fidgety. He didn't think that it would be so hard but obviously his mind had other ideas. Pumyra was alone in the Tower of Omens' control room. Now would be the opportune time, if the white tiger could get his legs to move. The PA system interrupted his indecision.

"Ben-Gali, please report to the control room on the double." It was Pumyra. Quickly, he left his room and made his way downstairs.

"There you are. We were beginning to wonder what happened to you." The puma smiled.

"What's going on?" He asked.

"Its time for everyone to have their physicals." Tygra told the bunch.

"Really? Snarfer, snarfer." Snarf's nephew asked. The orange tiger nodded.

"Who's first?" Lynx-O said he would go first and the others agreed so that he could get back to his night off.

In the Feliner, Lion-O and Cheetara sat in absolute silence as the ship broke from New Thundera's grasp. Neither one knew where to start. The kiss had definitely been something the cheetah wasn't expecting.

"I…" the first word came out from Lion-O. He hesitated, fully expecting Cheetara to say or do something. However, the cheetah did neither. She instead continued to look at the Lord of the ThunderCats. When they had kissed she was reluctant at first but then something inside her screamed. The tension and pressure had been building; it was the kiss that finally set it off.

Lion-O turned away from her. He felt embarrassed and didn't know what he was going to do for the rest of the long trip. Then he felt Cheetara's hand on his shoulder. Turning to her, the lion fully expected something bad to happen but instead the cheetah kissed his cheek. He smiled and asked,

"So I guess that means you're not going to kick my butt?" Cheetara laughed and replied,

"No, I'm not going to kick your butt."

"Then I guess that I have to apologize for being so forward. I…" Lion-O started but she cut him off.

"Let me tell you something. If you hadn't done it, I probably would've." The cheetah beamed. Lion-O had a look of surprise on his face.

"Really?"

Cheetara continued to smile and nodded. Now that the silent oppression had been broken, the two relaxed. Both glad for what had happened.

Tygra was finishing up Snarfer's physical. The little guy had been quite nervous and didn't want to sit still. Finally, the tiger had gotten Pumyra to help him.

"All done." Tygra said about twenty minutes later.

"That wasn't so bad, now was it?" Pumyra asked the young snarf.

"No, I guess not. Can I go now?" Snarfer wondered. Tygra nodded and he left the infirmary.

"Why couldn't I do the physicals?" Pumyra asked when Snarfer was out of earshot.

"You always do them, so I figured I'd cut you a break." The tiger lied. Pumyra nodded and thanked him.

"Well, I must return to my post. Have a safe trip back to Cat's Lair." The puma said.

"I will. Thanks." Tygra said. He then went down the garage and took the ThunderTank home.

Slipping back into Cat's Lair, the tiger went right to his workroom. He put the skin samples he'd collected into the refrigerator next to Panthro and the ThunderKittens'. Tonight had been a complete success.

The sun began to sink over the distant mountains and the Feliner radioed ahead to Cat's Lair to let them know they were coming. Snarf and Tygra lifted the Cat's Paw, so Lion-O could land the ship.

At the Tower of Omens, Pumyra received a message saying that Lion-O and Cheetara had made it back safely. She thanked Cat's Lair and said good night. Now completely alone in the control room, she sat at the sensors.

Her mind wandered as boredom quickly took over. Ben-Gali had been acting strangely lately and today was no exception. As if he had read her mind, the white tiger entered the room.

"Pumyra, I have something to ask you."

"Ok. What's on your mind?" The puma asked. Ben-Gali took her hand and got down on one knee. Pumyra stared at him.

"We've been together for a long time. Always watching out for each other and taking care of one another. I just want to know if you would do me the honor of making our friendship a little more permanent?" He asked her. The puma's eyes went wide. She had not seen this coming.

Ben-Gali waited for an answer. He had had something a little nicer written down earlier but he'd forgotten it. The tiger just hoped that she would answer.

"Pumyra?" Ben-Gali asked. This snapped her from the shock.

"I don't know what to say. You… I…" the puma stuttered. Ben-Gali's head sank as if accepting defeat. He stood up slowly and headed for the door. The tiger's only wish was for the floor to swallow him up.

"Wait!" Pumyra shouted. She grabbed his arm. There were no words exchanged between the two as she spun him around and kissed him. There was no reluctance between them and they kissed some more.

"So I guess that means yes." Ben-Gali said. Pumyra put her forehead on his and smiled.

"Yes, most definitely yes." The tiger picked her up and swung her around.

"You have no idea how happy you've made me." He couldn't stop smiling. The two stayed together the rest of the night and planned to share the news with everyone in the morning.

At Cat's Lair, Lion-O lay awake in bed. He couldn't get over what had happened today. Sleeping was out of the question. So he decided to walk around Cat's Lair.

The Lord of the ThunderCats walked down to the control room. Tygra was sitting at the sensors, reading something.

"Whatcha reading?" Lion-O asked.

"Oh I didn't expect you to be up. What's going on?" The tiger asked avoiding the question.

"I couldn't sleep." Was all the lion offered. "What are you reading?"

"I reread the science journals we brought from Thundera so that I can refresh my memory." Tygra admitted but he didn't tell his leader that it was the one about DNA extraction.

"Mind if I sit with you awhile or would you rather read?" Lion-O asked. The tiger really wanted to read but instead told Lion-O to stay.

The two ThunderCats chatted for a while and then Lion-O decided to try to get some sleep. Tygra said good night and returned to his journals. The Lord of the ThunderCats made his way down to his room.

Upon entering the room, he found Cheetara huddled in the corner. Quickly, he went over to her.

"Did you have that nightmare again?" He asked softly. She nodded and whispered,

"Something was different this time." Lion-O looked at her. The cheetah refused to say anymore and he pulled her close. Wrapping his muscular arms around her, the two sat in silence for the rest of the night.

To Be Continued…


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's Note: Hope you are enjoying my first ThunderCats Fanfic. I'd appreciate any thoughts, questions, heck even rude comments. _

Chapter 4

Lion-O woke up a few hours later to find Cheetara gone. _She probably left so that no one saw her_, the lion thought. Something had to be done for her though. The cheetah couldn't continue to live like this.

Jumping into the shower, the Lord of the ThunderCats cleaned himself up. It was nice to be back on Third Earth. The planet wasn't like Thundera but he didn't really know Thundera that well anyway. Now that the Mutants, Lunatacs, and Mumm-Ra were gone, everyone could finally enjoy the quiet and beauty of Third Earth.

Tygra was walking down the hall as Lion-O came out of his room. Smiling, Tygra greeted Lion-O with a good morning.

"Good morning to you Tygra. Finish reading those scientific journals?" The lion asked.

"Yes, I did. Have you seen Cheetara?" The tiger asked.

"Uh, no I haven't." Lion-O rushed. Tygra noted his odd behavior. Between last night and right now, something was going on.

"So what are you up to?" The Lord of the ThunderCats asked quickly changing the subject.

"Oh I have some work to do. I'll talk to you later." Tygra answered about fast as Lion-O had before. With that the tiger was off down the hall. Shaking his head, Lion-O walked down to the control room.

Snarf was sitting at the sensors. Upon seeing Lion-O, the loyal nursemaid said that he would bring him some breakfast because growing boys needed their nutrition. The lion rolled his eyes and sat down at the sensors. It was pointless to argue with Snarf that he was no longer a little cub anymore.

"Tower of Omens calling Cat's Lair, come in Cat's Lair." The radio transmission interrupted his thoughts.

"This is Cat's Lair, go ahead." At this Lynx-O popped up on the video screen. The older cat was beaming and Lion-O couldn't help but smile himself.

"Good news, my friend." Lynx-O said.

"Let me guess. Ben-Gali and Pumyra?" Lion-O asked. The lynx was surprised that the Lord of the ThunderCats knew before he even told him.

"Yes. But how did you know?" He asked.

"Simple. Ben-Gali asked me before going ahead with his idea. He wanted to make sure that it wasn't against the rules or anything. It was only a matter of time before he got up the gumption to finally ask. Isn't amazing? We ThunderCats wouldn't think anything of doing something incredibly dangerous but when it comes to ourselves we are so incapable of making decisions." Lion-O said."Indeed it is. Well I'll leave you to tell the others in Cat's Lair. Should I contact New Thundera?" Lynx-O asked.

"Yes, you can. I'll handle things on this end. Goodbye Lynx-O and congratulate them for me would you?" The lion responded.

"Goodbye Lion-O. I will pass along your congratulations." The lynx said. The communication ended and the Lord of the ThunderCats left the sensors.

The first ThunderCat he bumped into was Cheetara. She looked exhausted and he asked her if everything was ok. Saying that she had just come back from her morning run, she continued to walk past him on the way to her room. Lion-O told her to meet him and the others in the conference room in half an hour. The cheetah acknowledged and went into her room.

Continuing to walk down the hall, he saw the lights on in Tygra's workroom. He knocked on the door and asked if he could come in. Hearing scrambling around and things getting put away, the lion wondered what his friend was doing.

"Tygra what's going on in there?" Lion-O asked.

"Nothing. Come on in." The tiger lied.

"I'm holding a meeting in the conference room in twenty-five minutes. Are you sure everything is ok?" The Lord of the ThunderCats asked as he entered the room. It was obvious that something and been going on but not being extremely scientifically minded the lion didn't know what.

"I was just cleaning up in here. Getting rid of old samples and stuff like that. Oh by the way, it's physical time again. So after the meeting you and Cheetara should come down to the infirmary. I'll do the exams quickly and we can get back to life." Tygra said.

"Already? Well ok then we'll take care of that after the meeting. See you in twenty now." Lion-O smiled and left the room.

Tygra collapsed to the floor. That had been close. From now on he would have to find a way to give himself warning when someone was coming. A few more instances like that and his secret project would be discovered.

Sometime later after Lion-O delivered the good news and Tygra had given the physicals, the tiger continued to work. Now, with all the DNA samples he needed, the project could take shape. It would only be a matter of time before the Ultimate ThunderCat could come to life.

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Ben-Gali stood at his post in the Tower of Omens control room a few days later. Pumyra had promised to come by later when she was done out at the shooting range. The puma loved to practice with her bow and arrow. Ben-Gali had once seen her hit a target at a distance of 100 yards (300 feet). Yet she had been unhappy with that claiming she should be able to get her compound bow at least 140 yards (420 feet). _She is absolutely amazing but I wouldn't want to piss her off unless I was far enough away,_ the tiger joked to himself.

Lynx-O entered the control room and heard Ben-Gali laughing to himself. He was happy for the tiger and hoped that he would always be happy.

"What is so funny?" The lynx asked. Ben-Gali turned to his friend and smiled.

"Oh I was just thinking about Pumyra and her target practice." The tiger told his friend.

"Yes she takes it very seriously. You wouldn't want to get her mad at you. Probably couldn't run fast enough." Lynx-O laughed.

"I was thinking the same thing. How long do you think she'll be out there? Its almost dark." Ben-Gali wondered.

"Soon but there is something I want to talk to you about." The older and wiser cat said.

"What's that?" The white tiger asked.

"That I'm always here for you if you need advice. Just because you're married doesn't mean decisions are going to be easier. Sharing is a big part of marriage and if you need help I'm not that far away." Lynx-O told him.

"I appreciate that Lynx-O and I'm sure that Pumyra appreciates it as well. Life will just be more complete with Pumyra at my side." Ben-Gali told him. The lynx nodded and said he would be in the library if he needed him. The friends parted and Ben-Gali returned to the sensors.

Pumyra stood with her compound bow aimed at a target approximately 120 yards (360 feet) away. She noticed a shift in the wind and corrected the bow's trajectory. Then the puma released the arrow and watched it sail toward its intended target.

The arrow struck its objective inches from dead center. Pumyra's smile grew and spread across her face. She preferred the compound bow's accuracy and penetration to that of the crossbow. She could fire more shots in thirty seconds with the compound bow whereas loading the crossbow took longer and more strength. Blasters and crossbows were more advanced but the compound bow she used required more concentration and more skill than the others. The puma prided herself on being one of the very few who could use the compound bow. Noticing the sun was sinking, she went to collect her arrows.

In about twenty minutes, Pumyra had reached the Tower of Omens. Going through the doors, she made her way up to the control room. The puma entered the room and found Ben-Gali searching the sectors surrounding the Tower.

"What's up?" Pumyra asked causing the tiger to jump.

"I was just looking for you is all. But apparently I don't need to anymore." Ben-Gali smiled. Then he pulled her close and they kissed.

"So you were checking up on me?" The puma asked when they separated.

"No, I was just seeing if you were coming in. It was getting dark and I wanted to make sure you were safe is all." The tiger smiled.

"Hmm well I'm fine besides there isn't anything out there that could hurt me." His fiancée told him.

"This is true but that doesn't mean I can't worry. Besides I missed you." Ben-Gali said.

"That seems like a good enough reason." Pumyra smiled and kissed him again. The two stayed in the control room for the rest of Ben-Gali's shift.

Over in Cat's Lair, Cheetara sat in the library. She was reading a book about dreams. That nightmare hadn't been letting her sleep and in turn she hadn't been letting Lion-O sleep. The Lord of the ThunderCats didn't complain and it was quite obvious he wished that he could help her. The sedatives had worked but the cheetah didn't want to be constantly drugged up.

Hearing the library door open, Cheetara looked up. It was Lion-O. He had a concerned look on his face.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"Tygra has been acting really strange lately." The lion stated.

"He probably thinks the same about the two of us." Cheetara smiled. This made Lion-O smile too.

"You don't think he's figured out what is going on, do you?" He asked.

"I doubt it. Sometimes he can't see things that are right in front of his face." Cheetara said. Lion-O nodded. The cheetah could see that something else was bothering him.

"But what's really on your mind?" She asked.

"Quite sometime ago, back on New Thundera, Jaga appeared to me and told me that I should beware your restlessness and that I could only change the future by the decisions I make. What do you suppose he meant by that?" The Lord of the ThunderCats wondered. Cheetara shrugged.

"If I knew the answer to that then I'd probably be able to answer why I keep having that awful nightmare."

To Be Continued…


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Cheetara seemed to be running forever. The beautiful sunny morning had turned into a dark and stormy afternoon. Lightening and thunder shook her surroundings as she continued to run. It was unlike any storm there had ever been on Third Earth or even Thundera for that matter. Rain pelted Cheetara's skin, clothes, and hair as she raced on. Something was calling to her but she didn't know what. There up ahead was a form lying in a clearing.

Quickly, the cheetah was at the person's side. Lightening struck and she could see who it was in the bright flash. Lion-O held the Sword of Omens above his head. However the Eye of Thundera remained silent. That's when Cheetara saw the blood that covered his torn open stomach. The Lord of the ThunderCats was dead and the Eye of Thundera had been silenced forever. That's when an enormous figure stepped from the forest and into the clearing. Upon seeing the creature, Cheetara jumped back and grabbed her bo-staff. That thing had killed Lion-O and it must pay. Without thinking, the cheetah lunged at it. The creature made one swift move and Cheetara dropped to her knees. Blood poured out the slash in her chest. The female ThunderCat fell face down and the rain soaked grass was now soaked in her blood.

A scream interrupted the quiet Third Earth night. Lights all over Cat's Lair came on. Lion-O raced from his room to the source of the horrible noise. Snarf and Tygra weren't far behind the Lord of the ThunderCats as they raced to the sound.

Lion-O was the first one to reach Cheetara's room. Without knocking, the lion entered. Quickly he reached her side and silenced the cheetah's screams. Her skin felt like ice. The look on Cheetara's face scared Lion-O. It was as if she didn't believe that he was holding onto her or that this was even real.

Snarf and Tygra burst in just as Lion-O had only a minute earlier. Upon seeing the Lord of the ThunderCats holding Cheetara, the two weren't sure what was going on. No one seemed to grasp the situation.

A few minutes passed and finally Lion-O took charge. He ordered Tygra to get a sedative and Snarf to get her some more blankets. Both did as they were told without question.

With the others gone for only a moment, Lion-O kissed Cheetara's forehead. She looked at him and whispered,

"It was hideous." He was about to ask her what she meant but Tygra raced back into the room. Giving Cheetara the sedative, the tiger asked Lion-O if she had said anything. The lion lied and said she had not. Snarf came into the room with the extra blankets. The three men put a few on her to make sure she stayed warm. They were unsure if they should leave her alone. Finally, the ThunderCats decided that Snarf would watch the sensors while Lion-O would take the first watch. Then after a few hours Tygra would take watch while Lion-O manned the sensors.

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About six hours later, Cheetara stirred from her slumber. At first, she seemed confused. Looking around like she had never been in her own room before. Tygra saw that the cheetah was up and came over to her.

"How are you feeling?" He asked.

"Groggy." She smiled recognizing Tygra.

"Well you had us pretty worried. I'm going to get Lion-O. Be right back." The tiger promised and he left the room. All this fuss had not let him work on his project. Walking into the control room he said,

"Lion-O, Cheetara has come around. We should find out what made her spazz out like that."

"Ok. I'll get Snarf and then we'll talk to her." The Lord of the ThunderCats said. With that the two parted.

Meeting down in the female ThunderCat's room, Lion-O sat down across from her while Tygra paced the room to think.

"What happened earlier?" Lion-O asked, knowing full well that it was her nightmare. Cheetara hesitated to answer with Tygra there. She still wanted it to be a secret.

"I don't remember." She lied. This answer didn't surprise the Lord of the ThunderCats. In fact, the thing that surprised him was Tygra's reaction.

"I think the best thing for you is to get some more rest. If anything does come to you then we'll talk about." The tiger said. It was odd for him to not be more interested. Cheetara was relieved and promised she'd rest. With that Tygra left the room.

The tiger raced down the hall to his workroom. Cheetara's display was made it clear to him that the project must be hurried up. Quickly, he pulled the DNA infused cells out of the refrigerator. Tygra loaded the Petri dish into a cold pack and then loaded that into a bag full of other items. Coming out the workroom door, the tiger looked around. Neither Lion-O nor Snarf were anywhere to be seen. That's when he made a break for it.

About twenty minutes later, Tygra stood at the entrance to the Cave of Time. He pulled out the cold pack and a folded up metal object. Extending the metal object, it became a long stick with a claw on the end. Then the tiger took the Petri dish out of the cold pack and secured it in the claw.

Slowly Tygra lifted the stick and pushed it into the cave. He didn't know how long it would take the cells to multiply and divide but it shouldn't take too long. Grabbing another folded metal stick out of his bag the tiger extended it. This one had magnifying lenses and a light. Pushing that rod into the cave, Tygra was pleased with the process.

The cells had already become an infant and that infant was soon turning into an adult. Not wanting his creation to get too old, Tygra summoned up his terrific mind powers. Calling to it, the tiger coaxed it to come out of the cave. Not surprisingly the Ultimate ThunderCat answered him.

Before the tiger knew it, a cloud of dust blew up. Looking around, Tygra discovered a tall, oddly handsome creature before him.

"Hello." Tygra said aloud. At first, he wasn't sure what to expect. True his creation had the combined mental strength of Ben-Gali and himself but could it speak?

"Hello." The Ultimate ThunderCat answered. Tygra smiled.

"Welcome to Third Earth." The tiger said as he handed him a suit to put on.

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Back at Cat's Lair, Cheetara told Lion-O everything. The original dream had just shown the cheetah that Lion-O was dead. Two days ago it had changed to show her own death and now it showed her what was responsible for the murders.

The Lord of the ThunderCats was trying to hide how disturbed he was by the sequence of events. Something still bugged him about Jaga telling him that he had to make the right decision about the future. If Cheetara's dream was indeed correct then what decision would change the outcome? The alarms inside Cat's Lair went off and interrupted his thoughts.

Quickly, Lion-O and Cheetara ran down to the control room. Snarf was busy at the panels and brought up the video screen of what he presumed as trouble approaching. All three got the shock of their lives when they saw the figure on the screen.

The Sword of Omens had remained silent and Lion-O had Snarf turn off the alarms inside Cat's Lair. Then he and Cheetara raced out of the fortress and met Tygra and the strange creature.

"I want you to meet the Ultimate ThunderCat." Tygra said introducing his companion. Lion-O and Cheetara looked from the tiger to what he called the Ultimate ThunderCat back to the tiger.

"Uh Tygra? Can I talk to you for a minute alone?" Lion-O asked pulling his old friend aside.

"What exactly is that um thing for lack of a better word?" The Lord of the ThunderCats asked.

"Bob Cat, as I call him, is the answer to all our problems. If there indeed no more Thunderians, Bob can look over Third Earth while the rest of us live on New Thundera." Tygra explained. "There is no easy way to put this but he will give us a chance to extend the Thunderian race." At first, Lion-O didn't get what the tiger was trying to say but then it hit him.

"You mean…" The lion started. Tygra just nodded. The idea seemed plausible. But warning bells were sounding inside Lion-O's mind. They were telling him to remember what Jaga had warned him about.

"How did you create him?" He asked.

"I used skin samples from everyone and infused them with everyone's DNA then I took the cells to the Cave of Time and aged them. Right now I figure Bob is about twenty-one, twenty-two." Tygra clarified.

"So he's part of all of us?" Lion-O asked.

"Yes. He has Panthro's strength, the ThunderKittens cunning, Lynx-O's wisdom, Pumyra's excellent jumping skills, Cheetara's speed, Ben-Gali and mine's mental powers, and of course you're leadership and bravery skills; hence the name Ultimate ThunderCat. Bob should be able to handle any trouble that comes his way here on Third Earth." Tygra said.

Cheetara stood with Bob. This cat was close to seven feet tall. The cheetah noticed that his muscles were huge like Panthro's and a strong chin. Yet the rest of his face seemed to resemble WilyKit and WilyKat's youth. He had the fair complexion of Pumyra and herself with tiger stripes. His ears were like Lynx-O's and his hair was fiery red like Lion-O's.

"Hi. I'm Cheetara and you are?" The cheetah started.

"I'm Bob Cat; nice to meet you." Bob answered and he extended a paw. Cheetara took it and gave a firm handshake. He seemed nice and it didn't occur to her that he would be different. There was still an awkward silence between them; neither seemed to know what to say. Luckily, Lion-O and Tygra returned.

"Bob, this is Lion-O, Lord of the ThunderCats." Tygra said.

"Sir, it is an honor to meet you." Bob said and bowed his head.

"The pleasure is all mine." Lion-O answered cautiously. At this point, everyone seemed to be at a loss for words. Finally, Cheetara spoke up and said that maybe they should get back inside and have Bob meet Snarf. Everyone seemed to agree and the bunch entered the Lair.

To Be Continued…


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Weeks passed and Bob was still confined to Cat's Lair. He hadn't even been introduced to the Tower of Omens' ThunderCats. Lion-O was trying to make up his mind what to do. He was beginning to wonder if Jaga had meant Cheetara's restlessness or Tygra's.

"What in the name of Thundera am I going to do?" The Lord of the ThunderCats wondered aloud. There was a knock on the library door and Lion-O bid for the cat to enter.

"Oh hello, Bob." He said.

"Hello sir. Can I ask you something?" The large ThunderCat asked sitting in a chair across from Lion-O."Sure and you don't have to call me sir. You can call me Lion-O." The Lord of the ThunderCats said.

"Is there something I can do? I feel as if you and the others don't trust me. Father says that you just need some time to get used to me but I want to help. That is what being a ThunderCat is all about." Bob told him. It was weird to hear him call Tygra, father. Shaking that thought from his head Lion-O explained some things to Bob.

"I'm sorry if my behavior has been poor of late. There are quite a few things on my mind and I've been trying to sort them out. I'm afraid that trust is something that has to be earned. When I was new at being Lord of the ThunderCats, I would trust anyone without question. It had proven to be a bad thing on quite a few occasions. That is not to say you aren't trustworthy, I just like to be cautious." He said.

"I understand. Well then I will await your decision as to what I should do." Bob nodded and slowly got up from his chair.

"Give me a few more hours. Then I promise to have an answer for you." The Lord of the ThunderCats promised. Bob nodded again and left the room.

Lion-O waited for the Ultimate ThunderCat to be far enough away from the library. He didn't want Bob to see him head for Cheetara's room. Slowly he poked his head out the door and saw the hall empty. Quickly, the Lord of the ThunderCats made for the ramp that led up to the next floor.

Now outside the cheetah's door, Lion-O knocked. The female ThunderCat swiftly pulled him into the room. That's when she saw the look on his face.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"I don't know what to do. I just talked with Bob and I want to trust him, I really do but Jaga's warning keeps popping into my head." The lion told her.

"Well I think the best way to find out what he is like to slowly introduce him to our allies here on Third Earth. Let him handle some of the squabbles between our friends and see how things go. If everything works out ok then we can trust him with Third Earth. If not then we'll have to figure out what to do with him." Cheetara recommended.

"Sounds like a good idea. I have to figure out how to introduce him to the other ThunderCats first." Lion-O said.

"Well we could take him out to the Tower of Omens and introduce him that way. As far as New Thundera, a videoconference is going to have to do. Panthro and the kittens aren't due back for another three months." She told him.

"Why didn't I just talk to you earlier? You're just chalked full of good ideas." He wondered.

"I don't know. I'm just chalked full of them." The cheetah teased. Lion-O smiled and kissed her.

"I haven't been finding you in my room lately. Is the nightmare gone?" The Lord of the ThunderCats wondered. Cheetara's mood changed and she shook her head sadly.

"I've been trying to stay inside it long enough to see who or what kills you and then me but I can't. I suppose the only thing I can do is wait until it changes again." She told him.

"How are getting any sleep? You know its ok if want to come to my room and wake me up." The lion said.

"No, then you don't get any sleep and you need it; if what I dream is actually true. Besides I can't allow that nightmare to ruin what may be left of my life." Cheetara firmly stood her ground.

"All right, just promise me that if you need me to come get me. I'm here for you." The Lord of the ThunderCats said.

"Thank you." She said. The two kissed again and then Lion-O promised to see her later.

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Pumyra stood in the control room with Lynx-O, Ben-Gali, and Snarfer a few hours later listening to Lion-O. He said that would be coming over to discuss something that he thought would be better discussed in person rather than over the airwaves. It seemed odd considering that there wasn't anyone listening in on their conversations anyway but the other ThunderCats agreed to be ready for him.

After the conference ended, Lion-O and Bob got into the ThunderTank. He put the metal cover up over the driver compartment. It would be dark soon and then it wouldn't matter but until then Lion-O didn't want to take any chances.

They arrived at the Tower of Omens about twenty minutes later. Lion-O and Bob climbed out of the ThunderTank and mounted the ramp to the upper floors of the tower. Before entering the control room, the Lord of the ThunderCats took a deep breath. _Here goes_, he thought.

The others were standing around talking when Pumyra's eyes went wide. Ben-Gali cocked his head to the side and raised his eyebrows at her expression. Lynx-O snapped everyone back to reality.

"Hello Lion-O and to your friend."

"Hi Lynx-O. I want you all to meet Bob Cat. He is a new addition to our fight for the Code of Thundera." The Lord of the ThunderCats introduced his companion. For being around seven feet tall and having large muscles, the new ThunderCat seemed to actually be very timid.

"Its nice to meet you. I'm Ben-Gali and this is my fiancée Pumyra." The white tiger smiled and extended his hand.

"Nice to meet you." Bob said carefully taking the other ThunderCat's hand. Then he took Pumyra's.

"Don't worry, I won't break." The puma joked noticing how carefully he shook her hand.

"Yes of course." The big cat said. He seemed to be incredibly nervous. Lynx-O and Snarfer greeted the new ThunderCat and tried to make him feel comfortable.

While they talked, Lion-O pulled Lynx-O aside. He was sure that the others were wondering where exactly Bob had come from.

"I will explain everything to you and later you can explain it to Pumyra, Ben-Gali, and Snarfer." The Lord of the ThunderCats said.

"Yes, I would like to understand the situation completely. He seems like a very good person." Lynx-O smiled.

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The storm raged as the cheetah ran through the rain. The familiar scene played out in front of her. Cheetara found Lion-O and then the huge being stepped from the shadows. This time instead of automatically grabbing for her bo-staff, she just stood there.

The creature seemed confused by this action and walked closer toward her. Cheetara didn't move as it did this, something inside her screamed to run or fight or anything but stand there. She had to know who it was.

Thunder rumbled and lightening struck, illuminating the forest around them. Cheetara recognized the figure but refused to believe what was before her eyes. The creature smiled and shouted over the storm,

"The Code of Thundera will live on, forever! You are the only thing standing in my way! Surrender or suffer the fate of the others!"

Her response was to pull out her bo-staff. The creature nodded and withdrew his sword. This was all too easy.

"It's a shame you didn't join me! I would have looked forward to a companion but now the only companion you'll have is my sword!" It said again shouting over the storm.

Cheetara moved to strike with her staff but the creature was faster. He sliced the fighting stick in half. Then he lunged at her. Avoiding the blade, the female ThunderCat ducked and rolled over to Lion-O's dead body. Swiftly, she grabbed up the Sword of Omens and the Eye of Thundera came to life. It roared and the ThunderCat's symbol projected from the hilt of the mighty sword as the blade extended to its full length.

Charging at the creature, Cheetara swung the Sword of Omens. The other blade smashed into it and the two continued to fight. Unfortunately, her opponent was stronger. He knocked her down and tried to get the Sword of Omens away from her. The cheetah refused to give in and she kneed him in the groin.

This gave her the opportunity to push him off. Quickly, she scrambled up and pointed the sword at him. With one mighty swing, the cheetah brought the blade down but something stopped her. There was a funny feeling in her stomach and she looked down.

Warm blood poured out of the wound in her stomach. The monster had shoved his blade right through her. Cheetara sank to her knees and her foe pulled the weapon out of her and then smiled as he watched her bleed to death.

To Be Continued…


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Cheetara woke up and sat straight up in bed. She was drenched in sweat and she could hear her heart pounding in her ears. Quickly, she got up and went into the bathroom.

Retching into the toilet, Cheetara couldn't get the image out of her head. Finally, she flushed the toilet and went over to the sink. The female ThunderCat rinsed her mouth out and splashed cold water over her face and hands.

Drying off, she decided that she had to tell Lion-O. He had said to come to him and what she knew couldn't wait. The cheetah put on her bathrobe and went over to the door. Slowly, she poked her head out. The hall was empty and the Lair silent.

Carefully, she walked down the hall toward the Lord of the ThunderCats' room. Her soft, bare, padded feet made no noise on the cold metal floor. She pressed on the door and it slid open.

Lion-O was sound asleep. Wanting to wake him gently, Cheetara got down close to him and whispered into his ear,

"Lion-O."

"Just five more minutes, mom." He muttered. The cheetah rolled her eyes and decided to talk to him about it later.

"Lion-O." This time she said it a little louder and shook him.

"Moons of Thundera, what is going on?" He asked opening his eyes. Upon seeing Cheetara, he sat up.

"We have to talk _now_." The cheetah said.

"What is it?" The Lord of the ThunderCats asked.

"My dream changed. I know who kills all the ThunderCats." Cheetara said.

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The sun rose over the distant mountains and struck Cat's Lair. The red eyes of the Cat's Head caught the sun just right and Bob enjoyed the red light as it played along the inside against the walls.

"I know you're there." He said to a figure hiding in the shadows.

"So what do you think of the other ThunderCats?" Tygra asked stepping into the light.

"They seem very nice. I guess they have to get used to me." Bob said.

"Don't worry they will." Tygra told him.

"I have to be patient Lord Lion-O said. He is right, but patience is apparently not one of my virtues." The genetically rendered cat said.

Lion-O had made his decision. Cheetara was against it but knew it would be pointless to argue with the Lord of the ThunderCats.

"We will continue as we planned. Until there is some way to actually prove that he is going to do it I don't see what else we can do." The lion said.

"I guess but I don't want to find out after he kills you and the others." Cheetara told him. Lion-O nodded.

"Well you'd better get back to your room. The sun is up and the others will start to get to work." He said effectively ending the conversation. His behavior was strange but the female ThunderCat said nothing and got up.

Lion-O looked out into the hallway. It was empty and he nodded to Cheetara. Using her incredible speed, the cheetah was out the door in an instant and down the hall.

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Panthro and the ThunderKittens arrived three months later. By this time, Bob had been introduced to the Berbils, Wolos, and Balkans. The big cat seemed to be fitting in everywhere.

"Panthro, its good to see you. I take it Pumyra and Ben-Gali are all set up on New Thundera." Lion-O smiled.

"Yes and I'm glad to be back here. WliyKit and WilyKat behaved so well that I wish we had a surprise for them all the time." The panther joked.

"Well I'll show you the surprise." The Lord of the ThunderCats said and turned to the PA system.

"Bob please report to the control room." Within a matter of minutes, the door opened and the Ultimate ThunderCat entered.

"Bob, I'd like you to meet Panthro." Lion-O said.

"Nice to meet you." Bob extended a paw.

"Likewise." The panther said.

"I hate to meet and run but Lynx-O promised to show me how to use the Braille Board and I promised him I'd be right over." Bob told the other ThunderCats.

"What vehicle are you taking?" Panthro asked.

"Well I was going to take the Hover Cat if that's ok." Bob wondered.

"That's fine. I'm sure Panthro wants to use the ThunderTank after not being able to use it for four months." Lion-O said. With that the Ultimate ThunderCat left and Panthro turned to Lion-O.

"I know I have some explaining to do." The Lord of the ThunderCats said. He motioned for Panthro to sit down and the two discussed what was going on.

A few hours later, Bob was introduced to the ThunderKittens. They accepted him immediately and surprisingly didn't ask any questions. WilyKit and WilyKat even told him they'd teach him how to use their Space Boards. Everything seemed to going quite well.

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A few months passed and the denizens of Third Earth had accepted Bob, the Ultimate ThunderCat. At this point, he was running the Tower of Omens all by himself. Lynx-O and Snarfer had joined Pumyra and Ben-Gali on New Thundera.

Strangely, Cheetara's nightmare had stopped. As soon as she had figured out whom it was that had destroyed the ThunderCats. The cheetah had been very careful around Bob and wasn't sure how much more waiting she could take.

Over at the Tower of Omens, things were a little lonely but Bob seemed to enjoy the solitude. He could spend time learning more about Thundera and its code, the trials and tribulations of the ThunderCats since their arrival on Third Earth, and anything else he wanted to know.

Bob was like Tygra in many ways. His brain never shut off and there were ideas constantly being cycled through. Right now he was learning about the Thunderstrike and seeing if he could make any improvements.

He had taken Lynx-O and Snarfer to New Thundera with it and surprisingly the vehicle handled quite well under his control. Bob was a fast learner and had mastered the Braille Board with ease despite being able to see perfectly fine. Lynx-O's board had allowed for better control and there had to be a way to tune up the controls, so that anyone could fly it.

A few hours later, Bob was done drawing up his own schematics for the improvement of the Thunderstrike and he walked down to the kitchen to fix himself something to eat. The big cat pulled out all the necessary items and made himself dinner.

He then walked down to the library where he placed his dinner on the table and went over to the shelf. Pulling out a notebook and the last book he was reading, Bob sat down in a computer chair and poured over more of the story.

Eating, reading, and writing, Bob learned all about the demise of the Mutants and Lunatacs. It seemed to him that if the ThunderCats had been able to convert them to the Code of Thundera that they might have been great allies. The fault seemed to lie with the others.

The next morning, Lion-O called a meeting with the ThunderCats remaining on Third Earth. He told them that they would go to New Thundera, leaving Cheetara, Snarf, and himself at Cat's Lair. Panthro wanted to take the ThunderTank to New Thundera and the ThunderKittens were itching to get back. Tygra said he wanted to stay in case Bob needed any thing but Lion-O told him that the Ultimate ThunderCat had agreed to the plan.

Soon the original ThunderCats were loading the Feliner with their supplies. Ben-Gali had made contact with them and said that everyone on New Thundera was anxiously awaiting their arrival. A few hours later, everything was packed and the ThunderCats said their goodbyes.

The Feliner took off toward Third Earth's atmosphere. Cheetara stood with Lion-O watching the ship disappear.

"Well now the only way off the planet is the Thunderstrike." She said.

"That's true but I'm sure that we'll be fine." Lion-O said trying to sound upbeat.

"Why don't I believe you?" Cheetara asked.

To Be Continued…


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Cheetara was right to not believe Lion-O. Bob had the Thunderstrike in pieces and was adapting the equipment. He knew that of the remaining ThunderCats on Third Earth, he was the only one with experience on the Braille Board. This made him the only one able to fly the Thunderstrike.

The next piece of business was to gather up some weapons. Since Lord Lion-O used a sword, Bob wanted to be able to use one as well. He had blasters but they were messy and impersonal. If the Code of Thundera was to be followed properly, the current Lord of the ThunderCats was to be killed in battle not from a far. Down in the weapon's room, Bob grabbed up some blasters and a sword that Panthro had made him. At first, the idea was to let Bob decide what kind of weapon he liked best. Little had the others known what was to become of their nice gesture.

Back at Cat's Lair, Cheetara sat at the sensors. She was in contact with the Feliner and everything seemed to be running smoothly until a message came in from the Tower of Omens.

"This is Bob calling Cat's Lair, over." The cheetah brought him up on the video screen.

"I've picked up some bad storms moving in toward you thought you should know." The Ultimate ThunderCat told her. Another call came in and she split the screen. It was Rober- Bill or at least what seemed to be Rober-Bill.

"Massive… lightening… interfering… equipment…watch…out…" That's when the transmission went dead.

"We just lost contact with the Berbils. What do you suggest as far as keeping in contact with each other?" Cheetara said leaving out the part about not being able to contact the Feliner in case of trouble.

"No idea but I'm sure that the Sword will tell me if I'm needed." Bob said.

"All right. Talk to you later." Cheetara cut the connection. It was all starting to come together. The horrible storm was just the beginning. Soon they would probably face their greatest enemy.

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Lion-O listened to Cheetara as she told him about the Berbils. Communication was out over there and she wasn't sure if they should check it out.

"Unless the sword says there is trouble, I don't think we should leave the Lair." The female ThunderCat said.

"We don't have the ThunderTank and I don't know if I'd have enough confidence to use the Hover Cat in this kind of weather. I guess we'd better hunker down and prepare for the storm and anyone seeking shelter from it." Lion-O made his executive decision.

"And I suppose you'll want old Snarf to do all that." Snarf whined.

"No. I suggest that Cheetara continue to watch the monitors and that you and I prepare. That way she can let people in if necessary." The Lord of the ThunderCats told his old nursemaid. Snarf was about to say something when off in the distance they could hear the thunder rumble. It seemed as if the storm knew what they were up to.

Bob watched the storm hit Cat's Lair. This monkey wrench in his plan may prove to be useful. Now the others maybe forced to call him and when they did it would be their undoing.

He now turned his focus back to the Thunderstrike. It would be the best vehicle to take heading into that storm. His cover would be blown if he couldn't reach Cat's Lair. The Thunderstrike's pieces were adapted properly the trick was getting it all back together as fast as possible.

The sound of the thunder and lightening grew as the storm began to get closer to Cat's Lair. Snarf had gone around collecting emergency equipment while Lion-O made sure the back-up power source was working properly.

Cheetara sat at the controls watching the viewing screen. The lightening struck the ground and the thunder caused the ground to shake. She could hear the rain pelt the fortress with such force it sounded as if the walls would crack from the pressure.

The female ThunderCat was glued to the screen and she didn't pay any attention to the control room door opening. Lion-O walked across the room and put his arms around her shoulders.

"You ok?" He asked when she didn't react to his touch.

"I'm afraid." She said.

"Of what?" The Lord of the ThunderCats asked.

"Of what? What do you think? Its all beginning." Cheetara snapped at him all of a sudden. Immediately, she apologized.

"I'm sorry but…" Lion-O stopped her.

"Hey, you saw this coming. We have every right to be nervous. Jaga warned me as well. I mean…" he didn't finish. There was a presence beside him.

"Lion-O, you face a great danger ahead. You're opponent is smart but not unstoppable. Let the Sword guide you. It is up to you to protect the ThunderCats." Jaga told him.

"But Jaga…" The lion started.

"Remember the Sword will not obey an evil command." Jaga said and then he was gone.

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Bob finished putting together the Thunderstrike and returned to the control center of the Tower of Omens. He sat down on the floor, cross-legged, and began to meditate. Fighting Lion-O would require all the physical and mental strength he could muster. The lion hadn't become Lord of the ThunderCats easily. However, Lion-O had defeated the others one by one. He was a combination of all the ThunderCats. The added bonus of Ben-Gali, Pumyra, and Lynx-O was something that Lion-O had never faced. Still he shouldn't be overconfident.

Cheetara and Lion-O sat holding hands in the control room. Neither one wanted to admit that tonight might be the last time they spent together. Other than the storm, things were quiet and that was a good sign. But as if the Sword knew what they were thinking, it roared to life.

"Sword of Omens, give me Sight Beyond Sight!" Lion-O commanded.

"It's showing me the forest but I don't see anything. Something isn't right out there." He said lowering the Sword. Cheetara scanned over to the forest and tried to focus the Cat's Eyes into the foliage but the forest was quite dense in certain spots.

"Try the Sword again. There has to be something going on out in the trees." The cheetah said. Again Lion-O picked up the Sword and tried again. This time he caught sight of the problem.

"Great moons of Thundera!" He exclaimed.

"What's going on out there?" Cheetara asked.

To Be Continued…


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Bob's patience had run out. The storm was over in the Berbils village and he had pretended to be there to help them. However, he grabbed Rober-Belle and made his way back to the forest. Lion-O saw him holding the frightened Berbil above his head as lightening continued to strike all around. The Lord of the ThunderCats knew it was a trap but Rober-Belle's life was in danger. He had no choice.

"You can't. It's a trap to get you out there. I thought he kills all the ThunderCats but his plan is to kill you and become the Lord of the ThunderCats." Cheetara begged with him.

"If I don't fight him, there is no telling what he'll do to Rober-Belle. As a ThunderCat, I cannot let that pass, and as Lord of the ThunderCats, I cannot allow him to hold us hostage. I must fight him." Lion-O told her.

"I don't want risk your life to the twisted genetic freak that he is. I agree Bob must be stopped but there has to be a better way." The cheetah tried to make him understand.

"Then we'll face him together and destroy him." Lion-O said determinedly.

"How? He has the combined intelligence of all of us." Cheetara asked. Lion-O had no answer to that.

Bob's patience was again wearing thin. Why hadn't Lion-O come to save Rober-Belle? It couldn't be cowardice because the Lord of the ThunderCats was anything but a coward. The rain continued to come down hard and the storm seemed to be getting worse. Bob decided to give him another few minutes before taking drastic action.

"So this is how it is!" Lion-O shouted over the thunder. The Ultimate ThunderCat whirled around.

"There you are!" Bob smirked and dropped Rober-Belle. She cried out as she hit the ground hard. Lion-O wanted to help the female Berbil but he was sure that Bob wouldn't let him.

"I am deposing you as the Lord of the ThunderCats! You're past mistakes have forced me to take this action!" Bob told him.

"You think you can do better!" Lion-O taunted him.

"I _know_ I can do better!" Bob told him. He brought forth his sword and continued,

"Today I will destroy you and reinstate the Code of Thundera as it was meant to be!" Lion-O knew that if the Code was followed strictly, it didn't allow for mistakes to occur. Much like Hachiman's code of Bushido, if one was dishonored or dishonorable, he is supposed to kill himself. If he doesn't have the will to do it, someone else would do it for him. The Code of Thundera hadn't been used that way for hundreds of years. Because honor meant something different to everyone, things were relaxed so that killing oneself wasn't necessary.

"No more fooling around! Fight!" He shouted. Lion-O pulled the Sword of Omens from the Claw Shield and shouted "HO!" Not surprisingly, the Sword roared to life and extended to its full length when honor was at stake he had to fight. However, Jaga's warning still rang in his head. Bob charged at the Lord of the ThunderCats and the two began to battle.

The two weren't paying attention as Rober-Belle began to crawl away. She was afraid and hurt. In the bushes, she hoped to get out of the weather. Rober-Belle didn't make it to the bushes before someone grabbed her and pulled away from the fight.

"Cheetara!" She said in her mechanical voice.

"I have to help Lion-O. Are you ok?" The cheetah asked.

"No. Bob dropped me from his shoulder height. What is going on? Why does he want to fight Lion-O?" She asked.

"It's complicated. Can you walk?" Cheetara inquired.

"No. My knee joint seems to be malfunctioning." Rober-Belle told her. The cheetah didn't want to leave Lion-O alone with Bob but she had no choice. The female Berbil needed medical attention. Quickly, she scooped her up and ran at top speed back to Cat's Lair.

Lion-O was defending himself well against Bob's attack. The two continued to parry and thrust but neither one gained or lost ground. As they battled on the storm began to settle. Rain continued to fall, but the thunder and lightening died down. The forest had become slippery and muddy.

Cheetara raced back from Cat's Lair, hoping she wasn't too late. Lion-O's plan had to work otherwise both of them would be dead. As she entered the forest, she could hear the clanging of metal and the female ThunderCat picked up speed.

Lion-O slipped on the mud and fell down. Bob took the opportunity to try to kill the Lord of the ThunderCats. But Lion-O was too fast for that and he rolled out of the way. Bob's sword became stuck in the ground and Lion-O got to his feet. The Ultimate ThunderCat grabbed for the grip of his weapon and the Lord of the ThunderCats put the blade of the Sword of Omens under his chin.

"You have lost! Stand up slowly and back away from your sword!" Lion-O commanded. Bob smirked and stabbed his opponent in the leg with a dagger, he had concealed in his belt. The Lord of the ThunderCats jumped back and pulled the offending blade from his leg. This gave Bob enough time to pull his sword from the ground and lunged at the wounded lion.Cheetara arrived and saw the blood running down Lion-O's leg. He would now have to fight twice as hard to keep Bob at bay. She would have to act fast.

Bob kicked the Lord of the ThunderCats in his wounded leg and the lion stumbled backward. Lion-O fought to stay up and managed to use a tree to regain his balance. Blood continued to flow from his wound and the Lord of the ThunderCats could feel himself weakening. Bob smiled triumphantly and pushed the lion against a tree.

Lion-O raised the Sword of Omens to fend off the genetically rendered ThunderCat. The tree helped him stand up but it didn't account for how heavy the Sword was beginning to feel. Bob thrust his sword at Lion-O.

To Be Continued...


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

His eyes went wide. Looking down, he saw the sword sticking out of him. The sword in his hands dropped to the ground. It wasn't possible. Blood began to soak his uniform.

Bob backed away from the Lord of the ThunderCats. Turning his head, he saw Cheetara. A small smile crossed his face and he collapsed on the ground.

Cheetara looked at the blood on her hands. What she had just done still hadn't sunk in. The cheetah looked over at Lion-O and quickly she overcame her shock. Hurriedly, she went over to him. The Lord of the ThunderCats was pale and there was still blood coming out of his leg wound.

"Lion-O, you have to stay awake." She ordered him.

"I'm tired." He told her.

"I need you to help me. Command the sword. We need to close up the wound on your leg." Cheetara said. She lifted the Sword of Omens and had Lion-O put his hands on the grip. Then the Lord of the ThunderCats said a very weak,

"HO!" A bolt shot out of the Sword and sealed up the wound. Unfortunately, Lion-O had lost a lot of blood and he was still fading. Cheetara knew she wasn't stronger enough to carry the Lord of the ThunderCats back to Cat's Lair. Lion-O was covered in mud and his skin felt cold to the touch. The rain continued to fall and Cheetara knew she had to get him somewhere warm and dry.

_There are some caves close by; maybe I can drag him over to one. _She thought to herself. Carefully, she tried to lift Lion-O off the wet, muddy ground. It was hard and she slipped quite a few times. Now they were both covered in mud.

"Lion-O, you have to help me. Try to lift yourself up." She begged him. The Lord of the ThunderCats looked at her. He could see the concern in her eyes and he nodded.

"Ho!" He called out weakly and the Sword of Omens extended to its full length. Lion-O then tried to stick the Sword into the ground. Cheetara understood what he wanted and quickly, stuck the Sword of Omens into the ground. The blade held firm and Lion-O carefully lifted himself up out of the mud.

Cheetara then wrapped his arm around her shoulders and they slowly hobbled off toward a warm dry cave. Lion-O slipped a few times but the two ThunderCats continued on as best they could. The cave was dark but dry and this would give Cheetara the opportunity to come up with a plan.

"I'm cold." Lion-O whispered.

"I know. Everything is going to be ok, I promise." Cheetara couldn't hide the worry in her voice. There had to be someway to get Lion-O back to Cat's Lair. Snarf couldn't control the Hover Cat or Thunder Claw so there was no point in trying to use the Sword to summon him. However, leaving Lion-O alone in this state wasn't an option either.

Snarf was beginning to worry about Cheetara and Lion-O. They had been gone a long time and it was almost dark out. He wanted to go out and look for them but he couldn't leave Rober-Belle alone. That's when he heard the control room doors open.

The faithful companion whirled around to find Rober-Belle hobbling her way into the room. Snarf had managed to fix her knee joint according to Tygra's instructions from the Feliner. When Cheetara had rushed in and dropped the Berbil off, she hadn't said what was wrong with her. Rober-Belle had just said that she had fallen down awkwardly.

"I think I'm going to go home now. I'm sure that Rober-Bill will be wondering what had happened to me." The female Berbil said.

"On that bad knee, I think not." Snarf told her."Oh its not that bad. Besides, I should get back to see if I can help repair the communication system." Rober-Belle said firmly. Snarf was about to argue but he stopped himself. If she wanted to go then he could look for Lion-O and Cheetara.

Back in the cave, Cheetara had pulled Lion-O close to her to try to share some body heat. The Lord of the ThunderCats felt like ice and she feared that if she didn't get his temperature up, he might slip away from her.

Outside the cave, the cheetah could hear noises. It sounded like something searching for something. The Sword of Omens remained silent, so she tried to focus on saving Lion-O. He seemed to be getting warmer and she tried to keep him from falling asleep.

"I hear the best way to do this is to be completely naked." Lion-O suddenly whispered. If he wasn't in such a way, Cheetara might have smacked him upside the head.

"Funny, I don't remember hearing that." She smiled.

"How are we getting back to Cat's Lair?" He asked his voice still soft.

"We'll get back. We can go when it gets light out." Cheetara told him. Lion-O didn't say anything and she looked at him. Though the cave was dark, her sharp cat eyes picked up everything she needed to see. The Lord of the ThunderCats eyes were closed and she was immediately frightened that he wasn't breathing. However, her fears were calmed when she could still feel his chest moving up and down. Soon the cheetah herself was fast asleep.

Rober-Belle hobbled into the Berbil village and Rober-Bill and about ten other Berbils met her.

"We were about to go out and look for you. When the storm fried our communication equipment, we were so busy trying to fix it that we didn't notice you were gone." One of the Berbils explained.

"You're hurt! Come let's get her off her feet." Rober-Bill exclaimed. They were about to help her when the female Berbil told them to stop.

"We have to go out into the forest and look for Lion-O and Cheetara. They were in the forest fighting with…" She stopped. Should she tell them about Bob?

"I'm sure they are fine. After all they are ThunderCats." Rober-Bill tried to calm her down.

"But I was just at Cat's Lair and they weren't there!" Rober-Belle protested. This made Rober-Bill stop in his tracks.

"Where were they?" He asked.

"In the forest." She told them. Rober-Bill took command of the Berbils surrounding him. Two were ordered to take Rober-Belle home and the remaining Berbils were to go with him to the forest. Torches were lit and the Berbils set off in search of their ThunderCat friends.

Snarf was searching around Cat's Lair but he couldn't seem to find a trace of Lion-O or Cheetara.

"Where have those two gone?" He said to no one in particular. Calling to any animal friends in the area, Snarf continued to hunt for them. None of the animals said they had seen them until one critter mentioned that he saw two large cats fighting in the forest. Snarf thanked his friend and went off as quickly as he could to the forest.

To Be Continued…


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

A loud noise outside the cave woke Cheetara. She wasn't sure what it was but until Lion-O got better she would have to defend them. The female ThunderCat summoned all her strength and let go of the Lord of the ThunderCats.

Quietly, she made her way to the cave opening. Outside she could see the bushes moving and bright torches were being placed inside the clearing. Extending her bo-staff, Cheetara waited at the entrance to the cave. Then she saw the Berbils and quickly dropped her weapon.

"We're over here!" She croaked and quickly the mechanical teddy bears rushed to her side.

"Thank Jaga!" Snarf shouted running over.

"Cheetara? Is that you?" Rober-Bill asked before Snarf could slip into his worrywart mode.

"Yes." She answered as her voice came back to her. The Berbils rubbed his eyes and looked again. What normally would be a clean, well-groomed ThunderCat appeared to be as Snarf had once said 'what the cat dragged in'. Cheetara was covered in dried mud and her hair and fur were plastered down. The vibrant yellow had been replaced with a very dark brown.

"Where is Lion-O?" Rober-Bill asked snapping back to reality.

"Inside. You have to help me." She said racing back inside. Of course, she made it to the Lord of the ThunderCats first and tried to wake him.

"Lion-O wake up. Our friends are here." The cheetah said. He didn't respond and she gently shook him. Again nothing. The lion's chest was still moving up and down but the lack of response was making her nervous.

Rober-Bill sent some of the others back to the village for a cart. Snarf had raced back to Cat's Lair to get a hold of the other ThunderCats. The unconscious lion was impossible to carry all the way back to the fortress even for twenty Berbils and Cheetara was in no state to do it either.

"Why won't he wake up?" The cheetah asked still trying to wake him.

"I don't know but the others will be back soon and we'll get him to Cat's Lair." Rober-Bill promised.

"Where's Snarf?" She asked.

"I sent him to get the others." The Berbil said.

"But they're out in space." Cheetara moaned.

"What about Bob?" Rober-Bill asked. The female ThunderCat had forgotten all about him. Apparently they hadn't traveled far enough to find him.

"He uh…" Luckily the other Berbils arrived with the cart and they loaded Lion-O up onto it. The Unicorn Guardians had allowed two of their magnificent creatures to help pull the vehicle to its destination.

Once the journey to Cat's Lair had been made, Lion-O was put on a gurney and wheeled to the sick bay. Snarf hooked him up to the machines as Tyrga had instructed. The tiger had said that Bob should be able to help him and Snarf told him that he didn't know where the Ultimate ThunderCat was; there was no time for an explanation.

Fortunately, the others were on their way back from New Thundera. Unfortunately, it would take them ten hours to get back to Third Earth. In the mean time, the medicine woman by the name of Rose from the Treetop Warrior Maidens would have to help them.

A search party had been sent out to look for Bob. Though she had known what the outcome would be, Cheetara figured it would hopefully allow her to avoid any questions about him. Snarf was in constant contact with the Feliner and that too allowed her to not be questioned.

The medicine woman had looked over Lion-O and decided that his body had gone into a protective coma of sorts to regain all the blood he had lost. She had asked about the seared section of Lion-O's leg and Cheetara had said that he had used the Sword of Omens to seal up the wound. Rose tried to press for more info but she couldn't get any.

The two women had cleaned all the mud off of Lion-O but his uniform would have to be removed. There would be no problem with the boots or top half of his outfit but the bottom half… Eventually, Snarf was called in to handle that part of the business.

About half and hour later, Cheetara emerged from a hot shower. All traces of dried mud and blood had been washed down the drain. Or at least that is what the cheetah tried to believe.

She now sat on another bed in the sick bay having her injuries looked at. Rose applied some butterfly bandages over the cut on the back of Cheetara's hand.

"Thank you for all your help." The female ThunderCat said.

"Its no trouble at all. You would do the same for us. How long until your friends arrive?" Rose answered.

"Another eight hours." Cheetara responded.

"I suggest you figure out what story you are going to tell them." The Warrior Maiden said flatly.

"_Excuse me?_" Cheetara asked.

"Its quite obvious that you used a sword on someone and Lion-O has a large wound in his leg. Now since you stayed with him the wound probably wasn't intentional but somehow he aggravated you enough to try to kill him." Rose told her.

"I would never kill Lion-O!" The cheetah raised her voice.

"Then who did you stab?" Rose asked. At this, Cheetara remained silent. She didn't know what to do.

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Out in the forest, the Berbils continued to search for Bob. It had been relayed to them that the Tower of Omens was empty and that weapons were missing. Rober-Bill had told his Berbils to keep searching and they were getting tired.

A Berbil by the name of Rober-Tom, sat down on a fallen log to take a break. His little mechanical joints were killing him. Suddenly, he felt something sticky on his leg and he stood up. Holding his torch closer to see what was on his legs, Rober-Tom saw what looked like tree sap.

"Oh great this will take forever to get off." He muttered to himself. But then he took a closer look at it. He couldn't remember tree sap being a dark red. Bringing his torch closer to the log, he noticed that what he thought was a branch sticking out was a sword and the log turned out to be a dead body; to be more specific, a dead ThunderCat.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Screams pierced the silence of what remained of the long night on Third Earth. The Berbils went to investigate and found Rober-Tom. He was screaming, some would later say like a little girl, and pointing at the body on the ground. Rober-Bill went over and checked who it was.

"It's Bob." The leader of the Berbils said trembling slightly. Who could have the strength to kill the massive ThunderCat? Quickly regaining his senses, Rober-Bill told the others to load the body onto the cart that had returned from Cat's Lair.

Cheetara sat staring at Rose. She had no way of backing up her story with Lion-O still out of it.

"Well? I'm waiting for an explanation." The medicine woman said tersely. Cheetara opened her mouth but she was interrupted by Snarf, who had come racing into the room.

"The Berbils found Bob. He's… he's…"

"Dead." Cheetara finished for the ex-nursemaid.

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Seven hours later, the sun shone as the Feliner landed at Cat's Lair. Panthro, Tygra, Pumyra, and Ben-Gali were greeted by Snarf and Rose. The first thing they were told was that Bob was dead and the Cheetara was placed under arrest for his death. No one could believe what they had just heard. The next thing they were told was that Lion-O was in a coma and that Rose believed that Cheetara had hurt the Lord of the ThunderCats too.

"Now wait a minute. Cheetara wouldn't do any of those things." Panthro said, his anger rising.

"Explain to me then why her hand is cut up? Explain to me why she wouldn't tell me what happened?" Rose retorted.

"Are there any witnesses?" Tygra asked ignoring her questions.

"Bob, Lion-O, and Cheetara are the only ones that know what happened out in the forest. One is dead, one is in a coma, and the other refuses to talk. You do the math." Rose again snapped in their faces.

"What about innocent until proven guilty?" Pumyra asked.

"You ThunderCats handle this issue. But I swear that if you don't, you'll find that the good people of Third Earth won't stand for it. If ThunderCats kill other ThunderCats, then what is to say you won't turn on us?" Rose stated belligerently. With that the Treetop Warrior Maiden left Cat's Lair.

The ThunderCats stood there in silence. There was a lot of information to process. What were they going to do?

"I think the best thing is to send someone over to the Tower of Omens and check everything out." Pumyra suggested.

"Yes, I think you're right. With Lion-O in his state, I should take charge. Jaga did say I was to become the next Lord of the ThunderCats." Tygra said.

"No. You created Bob and you are too close to the situation. I will take charge until Lion-O comes around." Panthro told his friend. Tygra was going to object but he knew that the panther was right.

"Now you and Snarf go to the Tower of Omens. Take the Hover Cat." Panthro instructed. The two nodded and headed for the Cat's Paw.

"The three of us will try to sort out what really happened out there. Its already late in the day. Tygra and Snarf will have to remain at the Tower of Omens for the night. I hope that this gives us enough time." The panther continued to instruct the other two. The three walked into Cat's Lair. Immediately, Pumyra and Ben-Gali headed down to the sick bay while Panthro went to make contact with New Thundera.

_Find me here; And speak to me; I want to feel you; I need to hear you; You are the light; That's leading me; To the place; Where I find peace again… _

Cheetara sat next to Lion-O's bed. She held his hand and hoped that he would soon come back to her.

_You are the strength; That keeps me walking; You are the hope; That keeps me trusting; You are the life; To my soul; You are my purpose; You're everything…_

She didn't hear Pumyra and Ben-Gali walk into the room. The cheetah remained oblivious to her surroundings.

_And how can I; Stand here with you; And not be moved by you; Would you tell me; How could it be; Any better than this yeah… _

Something in the back of her mind worried that she wouldn't get to say what should have.

_You calm the storms; And you give me rest; You hold me in your hands; You won't let me fall; You still my heart; And you take my breath away; Would you take me in; Take me deeper now… _

Pumyra and Ben-Gali stood watched the cheetah. They hadn't realized that something had been going on between her and Lion-O.

_And how can I; Stand here with you; And not be moved by you; Would you tell me; How could it be; Any better than this… _

Cheetara shook those thoughts from her head. Lion-O would come back to her and everything would be all right.

…_Cause you're all I want; You're all I need; You're everything; Everything… You're all I want; You're all I need; You're everything; Everything… _

Pumyra moved over to her friend and put her hand on her shoulder.

_And how can I; Stand here with you; And not be moved by you; Would you tell me; How could it be; Any better than this… Would you tell me; How could it be; Any better than this?_

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Tygra and Snarf looked around the Tower of Omens. Both ThunderCats were surprised to see the blueprints for the Thunderstrike lying in Bob's room. They were also surprised by the annotations made in the margins. Tygra immediately recognized some of the notes and quickly raced from the room.

Down in the hanger, the orange tiger climbed into the Thunderstrike. The switches that allowed control to be switched back and forth from the Braille Board had been removed. Tygra cursed as he looked in the pods. The entire vehicle had been switched over to total Braille Board control.

Climbing out of the now useless Thunderstrike, Tygra shouted across the hanger for Snarf to bring Cat's Lair up on the video screen in the control room. The ex-nursemaid ran upstairs.

"We're connected." Snarf told him.

"Cat's Lair here." Panthro popped up on the screen.

"We have got big problems. The Thunderstrike has been switched over to complete Braille Board control." Tygra told him completely forgetting video protocol.

"What!" The panther exclaimed.

"Apparently Bob changed all the controls. Now only Lynx-O can control it." Tygra said.

"Great Jaga! I'll tell the others. In the mean time, do you think you can try to work on converting the Thunderstrike back to manual control?" Panthro asked.

"I'll do my best. But I might need your help." Tygra told him.

"Do the best you can. I'll call back later. Cat's Lair out." The panther ended the conversation.

"You stay here Snarf. I'll get back down the hanger and try to do the best I can." Tygra told him.

"What about Lion-O?" He asked.

"I'm sure that Pumyra is doing the best she can with him." The tiger reassured Snarf. With that Tygra took the blueprints and headed back down to the hanger.

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Panthro rushed down to the sick bay. He found Pumyra checking out Lion-O and Ben-Gali trying to talk to Cheetara.

"You have to tell me what happened. We need to understand why a fellow ThunderCat is dead." Ben-Gali said.

"Tygra found the blueprints for the Thunderstrike. The entire control configurations were switched over to Braille Board control only. Cheetara, we need to know what happened. Why would Bob do that to the Thunderstrike?" Panthro's anger again began to rise.

"What do you want me to say! I killed Bob! He was going to kill Lion-O! What was I supposed to do!" Cheetara exploded.

The cheetah's shouting surprised the others. She had just admitted to killing another ThunderCat.

"He was going to kill Lion-O?" Pumyra found her voice first.

"Yes. Bob lured Lion-O out into the forest during the storm by capturing Rober-Belle. The two fought with their swords. That wound in Lion-O's leg is where he got stabbed. Bob had him pinned against a tree and was about to thrust his sword into him when I stabbed him from behind." Cheetara spilled out. She continued to say tell them all about her dreams and the distrust she and Lion-O had for the Ultimate ThunderCat.

The others listened in astonishment. How could Bob be evil? It didn't seem to make much sense to them.

"Cheetara, until there is a way to prove what you said I'm afraid I have no choice but to confine you to your quarters until further notice." Panthro told her.

"What you don't believe me?" She asked.

"To be honest, I don't know what to believe." The panther replied. He then instructed Ben-Gali to take her to her room and guard her door.

To Be Continued…

_The song is Lifehouse's "Everything"_


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Lion-O slowly opened his eyes. Everything seemed foggy and blurry until he blinked a few more times. The Lord of the ThunderCats went to speak but no words came out at first. Licking his lips, he tried again.

"Where am I?"

"Lion-O! You're awake!" Pumyra said excitedly. "You had us worried."

"Pumyra?" He said confused.

"Yes. I came with some of the others when we heard what had happened." The puma said.

"When was that?" Lion-O asked.

"Three days ago. How do you feel?" She inquired.

"Stiff." Slowly the Lord of the ThunderCats began to sit up only to realize he had no shirt on.

"Where are my clothes?" He asked.

"They were wet and covered in mud. The medicine woman had to get them off you so you wouldn't catch pneumonia." Pumyra explained.

"Where is Cheetara?" Lion-O asked another question.

"Just relax. I'll be right back." The puma avoided his inquiry and left the room. A few minutes later, Panthro walked in.

"Lion-O, it's good to see you're awake."

"It's good to see you, old friend. So what have I missed?" The Lord of the ThunderCats asked.

"Well let's worry about that later. I'm having Pumyra bring you a clean uniform and we're going to try to get you up and moving around." The panther danced around his question.

"Here we go; a nice clean uniform. I'll leave you to put it on." Pumyra smiled and walked back out of the room.

"No more beating around the bush, Panthro. Tell me what's going on." Lion-O commanded.

"Bob is dead, the Thunderstrike is still being worked on to get it off Braille Board control, and Cheetara..."

"Cheetara what?" Lion-O was getting impatient.

"She's under house arrest pending a decision on what to do." Panthro told him.

"WHAT!" Lion-O had reached his breaking point.

"She killed another ThunderCat!" Panthro shouted back.

"Who was trying to kill me!" Lion-O growled at him. It was obvious that Cheetara hadn't had time to talk him into making up a story.

At that moment, Pumyra came running into the room. She had had the shouts and had come to investigate.

"What the hell is going on here?" She asked.

"Nothing. Nothing. Problem solved." Panthro said. He then left the room. He had to believe Lion-O. The panther headed down to Cheetara's room and relieved Ben-Gali from his position. Opening the door, Panthro walked into the room.

"Lion-O is awake and he told me that you were defending him. You can go see him if you wish. I'm revoking your house arrest." Panthro said. The cheetah said nothing as she raced paced the panther and the tiger. She had to see Lion-O.

Pumyra was checking Lion-O's vitals and making sure that his red blood cell count was in good shape, when Cheetara burst into the room. The puma wasn't surprised by her reaction since seeing her the other day.

"Looks like you'll be back on your feet in no time. I suggest using this cane for a few days so you aren't putting too much pressure on your leg." The puma told the Lord of the ThunderCats.

"Thank you Pumyra." Lion-O said.

"I'll leave you two alone now." She smiled. Turning to Cheetara, she said, "I will need to look at your hand again later." Cheetara only nodded and the puma left the room.

Once she was gone Cheetara wrapped her arms around Lion-O. She couldn't take it anymore and tears began to stream down her face.

"I'm so sorry." Lion-O said.

"You're sorry? Why are you sorry?" She said as she pulled away from him. The Lord of the ThunderCats wiped away the tears that ran down her face.

"Panthro told me that they put you under house arrest while I was out. Did they really think that you tried to kill me?" He asked.

"Well it certainly looked that way. I explained what happened and even told them about my dreams but they didn't seem to believe me don't know if they could picture Bob as crazy as he was." She told him."That or the fact that someone in the group wants to follow the Code of Thundera like they used to." Lion-O said. Cheetara only nodded. Pulling her close, the Lord of the ThunderCats kissed her forehead.

"Things will get better soon." He promised.

"I'm not so sure. That Warrior Maiden medicine woman was quite upset at the fact that everyone involved turned out worse than I did. I'm sure she told the others what she thought." The cheetah said.

"It doesn't matter what she thinks. We both know if hadn't done what you did, I'd be dead and there would be a good chance you would be too. Thank you." Lion-O told her.

"I must admit I was nervous. You had lost a lot of blood and I was in no shape to carry you back here. We were wet, cold, and covered in mud." Cheetara smiled.

"True, but if you hadn't held onto me, I'd have caught pneumonia and died." He said.

"You know for being so close to meeting Jaga on the astral plane you made quite the comment." She told him.

"What was that?" Lion-O pretended like he didn't know.

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Over at the Tower of Omens, Tygra continued to work on the Thunderstrike. Bob had been smart enough to rewire the vehicle and now he feared that they'd never get it back to normal.

"How's it going?" Panthro asked his friend.

"Ugly. I need your help." Tygra said shaking his head.

"Well why don't you take a break? We need to discuss something." The panther told him. Tygra nodded and the two ThunderCats walked up to the dining room.

"Lion-O is awake and he tells me that Bob tried to kill him. I'm inclined to believe him since he's been in a coma and he wouldn't make something like that up. Cheetara was trying to save Lion-O, that's why Bob is dead. There was no chance for the two for them to corroborate their stories, that, and I don't see either of them lying." Panthro explained.

"I just don't understand. Why would Bob want to kill Lion-O? Why would he rewire the Thunderstrike?" Tygra asked.

"You guys have to look at this." Snarf said running into the room.

"What is it Snarf?" Panthro asked rolling his eyes. The ex-nursemaid handed a book over to Tygra. He flipped through it and one passage caught his eye.

"'I see that the others aren't holding the Code of Thundera up like they should. The Mutants and Lunatacs should have been converted to follow our Code. Fault lies with Lion-O. He is an inadequate leader. This must be remedied.'" Tygra finished reading a passage from the journal. Panthro and Snarf's eyes went wide with surprise.

"Great Jaga. I created a monster." Tygra said.

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A few hours later, the all the ThunderCats met in Cat's Lair. There was a lot to discuss. Once everyone was seated, Lion-O began.

"Saying the past few days have been unbelievable would be an understatement. There have been accusations, realizations, and technological difficulties. I am proud to say that at least two of these things have been dealt with. Now as I understand it, Panthro has an update on the Thunderstrike."

"Yes. Tygra and I are almost done reconnecting everything. It has taken quite a while but we hope to have it done by tomorrow. At which time some of us will fly back to New Thundera in the Feliner." Panthro explained.

"I would like to apologize to Cheetara. I'm sorry that I didn't trust you but it was still a matter of a ThunderCat killing a ThunderCat and I just wanted to be careful. I'm glad you saved Lion-O." The panther continued.

"I accept your apology. I understand you had to do, what you had to do. I'm sure that I would have done the same thing. The best part is Lion-O is still with us." The cheetah smiled.

"You know, Jaga came to me just before the fight with Bob and told me that the Sword wouldn't obey an evil command. Now I knew that; why do you suppose he told me again?" Lion-O asked.

"Well maybe he meant that Bob couldn't use the Sword of Omens against you." Ben-Gali suggested.

"Or maybe he meant that you couldn't kill him. We are supposed to try to keep our opponents alive." Panthro said. No one really seemed to be sure what Lord Jaga had meant.

"Good, now that that is settled, who is to remain here on Third Earth?" Pumyra asked, changing the subject.

"Well I think Cheetara and I deserve a break so you guys decide amongst yourselves." Lion-O said. Panthro shrugged and held out his fist. Tygra bit and stuck his out. Moving their fists up and down three times, the two showed paper and scissors. Tygra frowned as he had lost as Panthro moved over to Ben-Gali. This time it was rock versus scissors. Panthro lost.

"So I guess that settles it." Pumyra smiled.

"What do you mean? It's your turn." Cheetara smiled.

"I believe that Ben-Gali's win counts as my win as well. We are engaged." Pumyra said.

"Hmm. That's not fair." Tygra muttered.

To Be Continued…


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

The next day, the Feliner was ready to take off. Tygra walked over to Lion-O and did some last minute medical checks.

"I'm sorry Lion-O." He said.

"For what?" The Lord of the ThunderCats asked.

"For Bob. I didn't mean…" Lion-O cut him off.

"Not your fault. You were trying to help us out." He said.

"But he almost killed you." Tygra said astonished.

"Again, not your fault. You didn't tell him to kill me. You didn't tell him that I was a bad leader. Maybe he is right. But I'm sure that someone else would have said something by now. At first, I'll admit, leading was not something I was entirely prepared for. I would like to think I've improved." Lion-O smiled.

"Yes. Things are just fine. I wouldn't want anyone to take your place. But you really are ok?" Tygra asked.

"Trust me old friend. If I was upset, you'd know it." The Lord of the ThunderCats answered. Tygra nodded and finished checking him over.

"Well, you're healing incredibly well. I promise we'll keep you informed about the Thunderstrike. Have a good trip." The orange tiger smiled. The two friends shook hands and parted company.

Cheetara was waiting for Lion-O out at the Feliner. She had a theory about what Jaga had said but didn't want to tell anyone else.

"There you are. Ben-Gali and Pumyra are really anxious to get back to New Thundera." She smiled.

"Well I'll make sure to set them straight." He smiled back. Pulling him close, she whispered,

"I think Pumyra knows about us but I don't know if she has said anything to anyone."

"Well if she has, secret out. If not, it doesn't matter. We're happy and that is what is important." Lion-O told her.

"You sure?" The cheetah asked.

"Well if you are." He said. Cheetara smiled and nodded. The two walked over to the Feliner and climbed aboard.

"Finally." Ben-Gali teased.

"Hey, I'm Lord of the ThunderCats. If you have to wait, then you have to wait." Lion-O joked back.

"Yeah well maybe I want to be Lord of the ThunderCats." Ben-Gali smiled.

"Oh really? So you're engaged and now you think you can do anything." The lion laughed.

"I don't see why not." Ben-Gali answered.

"Do I have to separate you two?" Pumyra asked. The two seemingly ignored them.

"We'd better. No need to put up with this the whole trip." Cheetara smiled.

"Boys." Pumyra shook her head.

"All right. Lion-O _get_ in the back seat. I'm coming up." Cheetara ordered.

"What! He started it!" The Lord of the ThunderCats complained.

"Now!" Cheetara put her foot down. Lion-O sheepishly unbuckled his seat belt and moved into the back with Pumyra. The cheetah took her seat next to Ben-Gali.

"No fair." The white tiger pouted. Pumyra scooted forward in her seat and whispered something into Ben-Gali's ear. He immediately fired up the engines and the Feliner took off. Cheetara looked back at her friend with an inquisitive look. All the puma did was smile.

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The group landed on New Thundera and was met by Lynx-O and the ThunderKittens. WilyKit and Kat started to ask questions but Lynx-O told them to be quiet and go call Third Earth. The two young ThunderCats mumbled and went back inside.

"Lynx-O, they haven't been giving you too much trouble have they?" Lion-O asked.

"No, they haven't. Its good to hear your voice again, Lord Lion-O." The lynx smiled.

"Its good to be here." He said giving Lynx-O a hug. The group began to unpack the Feliner.

A little while later, they were eating dinner. A strange silence seemed to have blanketed the conversation. The ThunderKittens had gotten bored with asking questions and not getting any answers so they finished their meal and were excused.

Pumyra, Ben-Gali, and Cheetara cleaned up while Lion-O and Lynx-O went up to his office. The whole incident that occurred on Third Earth was explained and the dilemma of trying to explain it to WilyKit and Kat was discussed. Snarfer had been told by Snarf and had promised not to say anything.

Noticing how late it was getting and how tired he was, Lion-O said a decision could be met tomorrow and that he was going to get some sleep. Lynx-O agreed that that was a good idea and he shouldn't over tire himself. The two said good night and Lion-O made his way to his bedchamber.

When he opened the door, Lion-O found Cheetara there. She was busy putting his luggage in his closet.

"Fancy meeting you here." The Lord of the ThunderCats said. Cheetara turned around and smiled. She wrapped her arms around him and he was about to pick her up when a stabbing pain went through his leg. He tried to ignore it but Cheetara noticed his wincing.

"Sorry." She said letting go of him.

"I guess my body is just letting me know I should get some sleep." Lion-O smiled and sat down on the bed.

"Today was a big day; maybe too big. Do you want me to get Pumyra and have her look at it?" The cheetah asked.

"No. I'll be fine." Lion-O promised. Cheetara sat down next to him and wrapped her arm around his shoulders. She kissed his forehead and said,

"You don't have to be so brave, you know."

"Somebody has to." The lion told her.

"I think you've already filled your quota for the month." Cheetara said.

"Well in that case, my leg hurts like hell." Lion-O smiled. He made one swift move of his left arm and pulled her close.

"But I think I know something that will make it feel better."

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Pumyra and Ben-Gali sat in the control room watching the sensors. The white tiger had been teasing the puma about her earlier promise and she had said she wasn't going to do anything where someone could walk in on them.

"What's that strange beeping noise?" Pumyra said changing the subject.

"What beeping noise?" Ben-Gali asked. His fiancée held her hand over his mouth and made him listen. He heard what she was talking about.

"I have no idea what that noise is." The white tiger said after she let go of him.

"Come on let's make a sweep of the room." Pumyra suggested. The engaged couple got out of their chairs and walked around the room.

"I think I found it." Ben-Gali said a few minutes later.

"It's the satellite." Pumyra said.

**The End**


	15. Dear Readers

Dear Readers:

I hope you enjoyed my story and I apologize for any confusion. The satellite refers to the earlier project in the story. The ending of this story has set up the hopeful sequel. Please let me know what you think.

18lzytwner


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